Method of Managing Prospective Business

ABSTRACT

The present invention reveals the next generation in customer acquisition procedures. LeadMaker™ (“LM” is a relationship-based system for handling business customers and prospective customers during the period between initial response and follow up by sales. LM is designed to fill the gap between Marketing acquiring responses and Sales establishing primary contact responsibility.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional Application of application Ser. No.11/108,110 filed Apr. 18, 2005, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the management of customersand potential customers and business leads.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Since the institution of business venture, large and small businessowners alike have been investigating systems which bring new customersinto the stream of activity.

According to marketing association statistics, United States companiesspend over $200 billion dollars yearly on business-to-business (B2B)marketing programs, and the results in terms of return on investment(ROI) and qualified leads fall far short of expectations.

A large part of this failure can be attributed to the gap betweenMarketing and Sales regarding lead acquisition and qualification.Marketing techniques appeal to prospective leads which are at each andevery stage in the purchase process and thus Marketing acquires leadswith a mix of brand associations and response offers. Yet Salesqualifies leads based on their likelihood of yielding revenue within thenormal sales cycle.

Predictably, in the past, Sales forces have not been able to qualifymany of the leads acquired by Marketing departments. Just aspredictably, Sales forces have turned to other lead sources in theirsearch for better leads. This wholly undermines the ability of Marketingdepartments to measure qualification levels, track final outcomes andcalculate marketing ROI.

In addition to the billions spent on marketing programs, companies arespending billions more on technology for various marketing, sales andcustomer service activities. Reports estimate that total spending inthese genres of activity will grow from $13 billion to $19 billion from2001 to 2005.

Prior methods and systems basically served to reach outside people, withno established relationship to company, and encourage them to look atthe product or service performed. The instant invention provides thenovel approach of a system and method that actually monitors, evaluatesand processes already established relationships in a manner whichqualifies these relationships for further evaluation levels. The systemalso provides for control by individual clients who are allowed todevelop their own system of rules by which to evaluate responses fromcustomers and prospective customers. Each client company develops itsown rules driven segmentation strategy to sort leads into separategroups for personalized campaign development.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention reveals the next generation in customeracquisition procedures. LeadMaker™ (“LM”) is a relationship-based systemfor handling business customers and prospective customers during theperiod between initial response and follow up by sales. LM is designedto fill the gap between Marketing acquiring responses and Salesestablishing primary contact responsibility. In a market where oftentoday's leads are more like mere inquiries, LM works to upgrade interestlevels among responses to demand generation efforts and renders leadsmore sales ready. Additionally, LM creates a complete record of eachlead's responses and resulting behavior.

Further, LM serves to treat new leads like new customers. Among themanners in which LM executes this action is to actively collaborate in alead's decision making process, inform the buying process and activelysupport the internal review and approval process. This interaction addsa partnership dimension to the vendor relationship and keeps the samelevel of data for leads as for customers.

Whereas prior business practices dictated a quick hand off to a strictlysales-oriented environment with predefined sales criteria in mind, theLM system nurtures the relationship at the individual lead level.Marketing will now support sales efforts by remaining involved until thelate stages, deemed “almost closed” audiences. By standardizing variousinterest levels and grouping leads according to these levels, LM cancreate and deliver a thematically-structured series of LM communicationsand offers.

In a computerized form, the LeadMaker™ system combines personalized,progressive, interactive, buyer-oriented communications and offers withindividualized, response-driven content and schedules, dynamic leadsegmentation, and response management. LM includes back-end Salesintegration, and automates the following functions: sales representativeassignments, personalized communications from sales reps, sales repnotifications of new leads, lead forwarding to sales reps based onclient triggers, and follow up with Sales regarding lead statuses,outcomes and revenues. LM also provides on-line, real-time reporting ofleads in the system, including individual and group response behaviors,profile data, final outcomes, deal sizes and ROI.

Further LM automates the qualification of incoming leads through saidseries of progressive, interactive, buyer-oriented, communications thatoffer buying expertise in exchange for lead profile data. For example,LM offers white papers, product comparison worksheets, ROI calculators,etc. in exchange for contact information, interests, timelines, budgets,etc.

In no way limiting the arenas in which LM may be utilized, among others,LM is favorably targeted for use in manufacturing, technology andservice companies in all industry sectors that have demonstrated awillingness to spend on automating Marketing and Sales functions, andwhose products require complex selling, necessitate extended customerevaluation or involve protracted sales cycles.

The invention shown comprises a method of managing customers andpotential customers indissolubly combining: data profiling andenhancement; a multiplicity of proactive purchase process focusedcommunications; a multiplicity of purchase process focused responderexperiences, and coordination and follow-up with sales responsibilityindividuals.

The method of data profiling and enhancement further comprises theindissoluble combination of: receiving data inputs which may be in theform of customers and potential customers; determining whether each ofsaid customers and potential customers may be eligible; validatingwhether each of said customers and potential customers may bedeliverable; segmenting said customers and potential customers intogroups; assigning sales responsibility individuals to said customers andpotential customers.

Additionally, the method of said multiplicity of proactive purchaseprocess focused communications further comprises the indissolublecombination of: defining a multiplicity of series of originalcommunications which may correlate to steps of a purchase process ofsaid customers and potential customers and developing a multiplicity ofresponse incentives which may correlate to said steps of said purchaseprocesses of said customers and potential customers. Further, the methodof proactive purchase process focused communications further comprisescommunications which may be individually personalized with profileinformation, behavioral information, interest information, and salesresponsibility information for each said customer or potential customer.Further, said communications may encompass a graphical appearance andaudio presence consistent with organizational guidelines. Also, themethod of proactive purchase process focused communications may furthercomprise follow-up communications to said customers and potentialcustomers upon failure to respond to said original communications whichmay be automated, and a multiplicity of schedules for directing originalcommunications to said customers and potential customers and amultiplicity of schedules for directing automatic non-responder followup communications which may be established.

Further, the method of proactive purchase process focused communicationsmay further comprise communications which may be directed to saidcustomers and potential customers based upon a multiplicity of scheduletimings and a multiplicity of individual eligibilities of said customersand said potential customers, wherein said schedules for directingoriginal communications may be based on a multiplicity of individualprofiles, response behaviors, and response incentive utilization by saidcustomers and potential customers.

Additionally, the method of said multiplicity of purchase processfocused responder experiences further comprises the indissolublecombination of creating a multiplicity of response destinations whichmay individually identify said customers and said potential customersthat respond to said proactive purchase process focused communicationsdirected to said customers and said potential customers; creating amultiplicity of response destinations which may correlate to amultiplicity of backgrounds, a multiplicity of profiles and amultiplicity of interests of said customers and said potential customersin order to prompt responses from said customers and said potentialcustomers.

The method of said multiplicity of purchase process focused responderexperiences may further comprise creating a multiplicity of purchasefocused questions which may be completed by said customers and potentialcustomers wherein said customers respond in exchange for delivery ofresponse incentives; and personalizing said multiplicity of responsedestinations individually with profile information and behavioralinformation from each of said customers or potential customers which mayrespond. The method of said multiplicity of purchase process focusedresponder experiences may further comprise creating a multiplicity ofresponse destinations, which encompass a graphical appearance and audiopresence consistent with organizational guidelines.

Further, the method of said purchase focused experiences for respondersfurther comprises the indissoluble combination of monitoring amultiplicity of communications delivery behaviors, communicationsreceipt behaviors, and communications response behaviors of saidcustomers and said potential customers, recording said multiplicity ofcommunications delivery, communications receipt, and communicationsresponse behaviors of said customers and said potential customersindividually and reporting said multiplicity of communications delivery,communications receipt, and communications response behaviors of saidcustomers and said potential customers. Additionally, said multiplicityof communications delivery behaviors and said multiplicity ofcommunications receipt behaviors and said multiplicity of communicationsresponse behaviors of said customers and said potential customers mayfurther compromise utilizing a multiplicity of differing traceable mediaresponses.

Further the method of coordination and follow-up with salesresponsibility individuals further comprises the indissolublecombination of identifying appropriate sales responsibility individualsto receive notifications of qualifying behaviors and forwarding ofqualifying customers and potential customers. Additionally, saidcoordination and follow-up with sales responsibility individuals maycomprise notifying said sales responsibility individuals of qualifyingresponse behaviors of said customers and said potential customers, andidentifying qualifying customers and qualifying potential customers forforwarding to said sales responsibility individuals.

Further the method of said coordination and follow-up with salesresponsibility individuals may comprise routing said qualifyingcustomers and potential customers to said appropriate salesresponsibility individuals and contacting said sales responsibilityindividuals after receipt of said qualifying customers and potentialcustomers to track a multiplicity of individual sales outcomes.Moreover, the method of said coordination and follow-up with salesresponsibility individuals may comprise recording said multiplicity ofindividual sales outcomes of said qualifying customers and potentialcustomers and reporting said customer and potential customerqualifications, said multiplicity of sales statuses and saidmultiplicity of sales outcomes of qualified customers and potentialcustomers.

In addition, said multiplicity of individual sales outcomes may furthercomprise a multiplicity of differing status updates and saidmultiplicity of differing status updates may be selected from the groupconsisting of contact status, sales status and transaction amounts.Further, said multiplicity of purchase focused questions may be selectedfrom the group consisting of demographics, product and service usages,product and service interests, and organizational purchasing processesand intentions.

Further, in addition to the above described method, the LeadMaker™automated lead qualification system can further be described as a methodof managing customers and potential customers comprising: a multiplicityof series of marketing communications; a database-driven, web-hosted ASPapplication; and customized sets of rules for individual clientcompanies; wherein said individual client companies export amultiplicity of customers and potential customers into said databasedriven, web hosted ASP application; wherein said multiplicity ofcustomers and potential customers are selected from the group consistingof responders to lead generation activities by said individual clientcompanies; wherein said multiplicity of customers and potentialcustomers become a multiplicity of prospects; wherein said sequence ofactions utilized in evaluating said multiplicity of prospects arecampaigns composed of a multiplicity of individual segments; and,wherein said individual client companies develop rules drivensegmentation strategies to sort said multiplicity of prospects into amultiplicity of groups for personalized campaign development.

Also, said campaigns include a multiplicity of series of communicationsdelivered according to a multiplicity of designated time intervals.Further, readiness levels of said multiplicity of prospects to buy areincreased due to said multiplicity of series of communications.Additionally, upon receipt of a response from one of said prospects,said system initiates another communication in a pre-defined sequence.Moreover, in said system, a multiplicity of non-responders receivesautomatic follow-up communications at pre-determined intervals afteroriginal communications.

Further the LeadMaker™ automated lead qualification system may includefeatures wherein said individual client companies incorporate salesresponsibility individuals in said campaigns by personalizing saidcommunications from said sales responsibility individuals at any timeduring campaigns. Said automated lead qualification system may alsoinclude features wherein a multiplicity of results is tracked andreported for each of said multiplicity of individual segments withinsaid campaigns and said results are aggregated across said campaigns.

Said system may also include a provision wherein returns on investmentcan be measured for said campaigns when said sales responsibilityindividuals enter a multiplicity of transactional data at the close ofeach sale. In addition, said system may be configured such that a pointat which leads are funneled to said sales responsibility individuals iscontingent upon said customized sets of rules for individual clientcompanies.

The invention can further be described as a method of managing customersand potential customers comprising: a communications management process;a data management process; a response experience management process; anda sales coordination process. The method of the communicationsmanagement process may further comprise: setting a multiplicity ofseries of outbound communications; developing a multiplicity ofincentives for a multiplicity of customers and potential customers;creating a multiplicity of communications content; setting amultiplicity of levels of personalization for said multiplicity ofcommunications content; creating brand-aware graphic or audio presence;setting a multiplicity of follow-up communications for a multiplicity ofcustomers and potential customers which do not respond to themultiplicity of original communications; setting a multiplicity of acommunications schedules; and directing said multiplicity ofcommunications to said multiplicity of customers and potentialcustomers.

Additionally, the method of the data management process may furthercomprise: validating a multiplicity of customers and potentialcustomers; identifying said multiplicity of customers and potentialcustomers; filtering said multiplicity of customers and potentialcustomers; assigning said multiplicity of customers and potentialcustomers to a multiplicity of initial groupings; and, assigning saidmultiplicity of customers and potential customers to salesresponsibility individuals.

Further, the method of the response experience management process mayfurther comprise: tracking a multiplicity of behavior patterns of amultiplicity of recipients to a multiplicity of communications; managinga multiplicity of experiences of a multiplicity of customers andpotential customers which responded: and tracking said multiplicity ofbehaviors of said multiplicity of customers and potential customerswhich responded.

Finally, the method of the sales coordination process may furthercomprise: profiling and qualifying said customers and potentialcustomers which respond; forwarding said customers and potentialcustomers which respond to sales responsibility individuals; and,gathering a multiplicity of results from said customers and potentialcustomers which respond from said sales responsibility individuals.

Said multiplicity of delivery behaviors and receipt behaviors of saidcustomers and said potential customers may further comprise a set ofdiffering traceable media responses and these responses are not limitedby, but may be selected from the group consisting of e-mail bounces,opens, click-throughs, and unsubscribes. Additionally, said multiplicityof response behaviors and said multiplicity of receipt behaviors of saidmultiplicity of customers and said potential customers may furthercomprise a set of differing traceable media responses and theseresponses are not limited by, but may be selected from the groupconsisting of data submissions, profile question responses, responseincentive requests and deliveries.

The possible e-mail communications delivery/receipt behaviors to bemonitored may comprise but are not limited to an e-mail bounce or e-mailopen. The possible e-mail communications response behaviors may comprisebut are not limited to e-mail click throughs, web site viewing, datasubmissions, profile question responses, incentive requests, incentivedownloads, information requests, information downloads, unsubscribe (optout) requests, e-mail forwarding (pass alongs), e-mail responses tosender or third parties, telephone responses to sender or third parties,postal responses to sender or third parties. Further the possible directmail communications delivery/receipt behaviors may comprise but are notlimited to undeliverable responses and the direct mail communicationsresponse behaviors may comprise but are not limited to web site viewing,data submissions, profile question responses, incentive requests,incentive downloads, information requests, information downloads, do notmail (opt outs) requests, e-mail responses to sender or third parties,telephone responses to sender or third parties, postal responses tosender or third parties. Also, the telemarketing communicationsdelivery/receipt behaviors may comprise but are not limited to noanswer, incorrect or disconnected phone number, busy, left message,callback. Additionally, the telemarketing communications responsebehaviors may comprise but are not limited to spoke with target name: nointerest, spoke with target name: future interest, spoke with targetname: active interest, web site viewing, data submissions, profilequestion responses, incentive requests, incentive downloads, informationrequests, information downloads, do-not-call (opt out) requests, e-mailresponses to sender or third party, telephone responses to sender orthird party, postal responses to sender or third party.

In a computerized form, the LeadMaker™ automated lead qualificationsystem can further be described as a method of managing customers andpotential customers which combines personalized, progressive,interactive, buyer-oriented e-mail communications with individualized,response-driven contact schedules, dynamic lead segmentation, andresponse management. The method of LeadMaker™ may also automate salesrep assignments, sales rep notifications of new leads, lead forwardingto sales reps based on client triggers, and Sales follow up regardinglead status, outcome and revenue. The method of LeadMaker™ may alsoprovide on-line, real-time reporting of leads in the system, includingindividual and group response behaviors, profile data, final outcomes,deal sizes and ROI.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription, claims, and accompanying drawings. Therefore, the form ofthe invention, as set out above, should be considered illustrative andnot as limiting the scope of the novel design of the instant inventionas set out in the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the first segment of a chart illustrating a general overviewof the LeadMaker™ automated lead qualification system including theintegration of elements of the Data Management Process, CommunicationsManagement Process, Response Experience Management Process; SalesCoordination Process;

FIG. 2 hereof is the second and final segment the chart illustrating ageneral overview of the LeadMaker™ automated lead qualification systemincluding the integration of elements of the Data Management Process,Communications Management Process, Response Experience ManagementProcess; Sales Coordination Process;

FIG. 3 hereof is the first segment of a chart illustrating the DataManagement Process, and specifically displaying the DetermineEligibility of Customers and Potential Customers phase and the firstportion of the Segmenting Customers and Potential Customers into InitialGroupings phase;

FIG. 4 hereof is the second and final segment of a chart illustratingthe Data Management Process and specifically displaying the second andfinal portion of the Segmenting Customers and Potential Customers intoInitial Groupings phase, and the Assign Sales Responsibility Individualsto Customers and Potential Customers phase;

FIG. 5 hereof is the first segment of a chart illustrating theCommunications Management Process and specifically displaying the DefineSeries of Outbound Communications phase and the first portion of theDevelop Incentives to Respond phase;

FIG. 6 hereof is the second segment of a chart illustrating theCommunications Management Process and specifically displaying the secondand final portion of the Develop Incentives to Respond phase, the CreateCommunications Content phase, the Set Levels of Content Personalizationphase, and the Create Brand-Aware Graphical Presence phase;

FIG. 7 hereof is the third and final segment of a chart illustrating theCommunications Management Process and specifically displaying the SetNon-Responder Follow-ups phase, the Set Communications Schedules phase,and the Direct Communications to Customers and Potential Customersphase;

FIG. 8 hereof is the first segment of a chart illustrating the ResponseExperience Management Process phase and specifically displaying theTracking Individual Communications Recipient Behaviors phase and thefirst portion of the Manage Individual Responder Experiences phase;

FIG. 9 hereof is the second and final segment of a chart illustratingthe Response Experience Management Process and specifically displayingthe second and final portion of the Manage Individual ResponderExperiences phase, and the Track Individual Responder Behaviors phase;

FIG. 10 hereof is the first segment of a chart illustrating the SalesCoordination Process and specifically displaying the Notify Sales ofIndividual Responder Behaviors phase, the Profile and Qualify Respondersphase and the first portion of the Direct Qualified Responders to Salesphase;

FIG. 11 hereof is the second and final segment of a chart illustratingthe Sales Coordination Process and specifically displaying the secondand final portion of the Direct Qualified Responders to Sales phase, andthe Gather Individual Responder Results from Sales phase;

FIG. 12 hereof is a diagram of the physical embodiment of the systemwhich can be employed to utilize the method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 is the first segment of a chart illustrating ageneral overview of the system including the integration of elements ofthe Data Management Process 1, the Communications Management Process 2,Response Experience Management Process 3; Sales Coordination Process 4,broad-based examples of Business Rules 5, which are determined by theindividual client, as discussed herein. FIG. 2 is the second and finalsegment the chart illustrating a general overview of the systemincluding the integration of elements of the Data Management Process 1,Communications Management Process 2, Response Experience ManagementProcess 3; Sales Coordination Process 4.

FIG. 3 is the first segment of a chart illustrating the Data ManagementProcess 1, and specifically displaying the Determine Eligibility ofCustomers and Potential Customers Phase 6 and the Segmenting Customersand Potential Customers into Initial Groupings Phase 7. FIG. 4 is thesecond and final segment of a chart illustrating the Data ManagementProcess 1, and specifically displaying the Assign Sales ResponsibilityIndividuals to Customers and Potential Customers phase 8;

FIG. 5 hereof is the first segment of a chart illustrating theCommunications Management Process 2, and specifically displaying theDefine Series of Outbound Communications phase 9 and the DevelopIncentives to Respond phase 10. FIG. 6 hereof is the second segment of achart illustrating the Communications Management Process 2, andspecifically displaying the Create Communications Content phase 11, SetLevels of Content Personalization phase 12, and Create Brand-AwareGraphical Presence phase 13.

FIG. 7 hereof is the third and final segment of a chart illustrating theCommunications Management Process 2, and specifically displaying the SetNon-Responder Follow-ups phase 14, Set Communications Schedules phase 15and Direct Communications to Customers and Potential Customers phase 16.

FIG. 8 hereof is the first segment of a chart illustrating the ResponseExperience Management Process phase 3, and specifically displaying theTracking Individual Communications Recipient Behaviors phase 17 andManage Individual Responder Experiences phase 18. FIG. 9 hereof is thesecond and final segment of a chart illustrating the Response ExperienceManagement Process 3, and specifically displaying the Track IndividualResponder Behaviors phase 19.

FIG. 10 hereof is the first segment of a chart illustrating the SalesCoordination Process 4, and specifically displaying the Notify Sales ofIndividual Responder Behaviors phase 20, the Profile and QualifyResponders phase 21 and the Direct Qualified Responders to Sales phase22. FIG. 11 hereof is the second and final segment of a chartillustrating the Sales Coordination Process 4, and specificallydisplaying the Gather Individual Responder Results from Sales phase 23.

FIG. 12 hereof is a diagram of the physical embodiment of the systemutilizing the method.

1. A method of managing a multiplicity of customers and potentialcustomers indissolubly combining: data profiling and enhancement; amultiplicity of proactive purchase process focused communications; amultiplicity of purchase process focused responder experiencescoordination and follow-up with a multiplicity of sales responsibilityindividuals.
 2. The method of managing said multiplicity of customersand potential customers of claim 1 wherein coordination and follow-upwith a multiplicity of sales responsibility individuals furthercomprises the indissoluble combination of: identifying a multiplicity ofappropriate sales responsibility individuals to receive a multiplicityof notifications of a multiplicity of qualifying behaviors andforwarding of a multiplicity of qualifying customers and potentialcustomers; notifying said multiplicity of sales responsibilityindividuals of said multiplicity of qualifying response behaviors ofsaid multiplicity of customers and potential customers; identifying saidmultiplicity of qualifying customers and qualifying potential customersfor directing to said multiplicity of sales responsibility individuals;directing said multiplicity of qualifying customers and qualifyingpotential customers to said multiplicity of appropriate salesresponsibility individuals; contacting said multiplicity of salesresponsibility individuals after receipt of said multiplicity ofqualifying customers and qualifying potential customers to track amultiplicity of individual sales outcomes; recording said multiplicityof individual sales outcomes of said multiplicity of qualifyingcustomers and qualifying potential customers; reporting saidmultiplicity of customer and potential customer qualifications, saidmultiplicity of sales statuses, and said multiplicity of sales outcomesof said multiplicity of qualifying customers and qualifying potentialcustomers.
 3. The method of managing said multiplicity of customers andpotential customers of claim 2 wherein said multiplicity of individualsales outcomes further comprise a multiplicity of differing statusupdates.
 4. The method of managing said multiplicity of customers andpotential customers of claim 3 wherein said multiplicity of differingstatus updates are selected from the group consisting of contact status,sales status and transaction amounts.